Before asking your child to change their volume, consider:

What are they trying to communicate?
Do they need help? Are they excited? Is something uncomfortable?

What is happening in their body?
Stress, energy and sensory load can affect the voice.

What does this place need?
Home, a library, a playground and an emergency all call for different things.

How can they communicate here?
Speech is only one option. Signs, gestures, pointing and AAC should remain available.

Respond to the message first. Coach the voice level second.

You do not need to teach all six levels at once.

Start with one or two that your child can use in everyday life.

Level 0 — Quiet / no spoken voice

Useful for situations such as sleeping or quiet time.

Level 1 — Whisper

For communicating softly with someone nearby.

Level 2 — Talking voice

A useful voice for many indoor conversations.

Level 3 — Group voice

A bigger voice for group activities or speaking across a room.

Level 4 — Outside voice

A loud voice for playgrounds, outdoor games and open spaces.

Level 5 — Emergency voice

A very loud voice for Stop! Help! Danger! or when someone is hurt.

The aim is not to move your child toward the quietest level.

It is to help them build more useful choices.

Voice levels make more sense when they are connected to actual situations.

Try:

At home:
“What voice works while we are talking together?”

At the playground:
“This is a good place for an outside voice.”

When someone needs help:
“An emergency voice helps people notice quickly.”

Your pack includes a practice page where children identify voice levels across situations such as circle time, group activities, playgrounds, whispering, talking with a friend and getting hurt.

Voice Choices & Voice Levels Pack

US$6.90

A flexible visual support pack for teaching how different voice levels can support communication in different places.

The pack includes:

• parent guidance
• a complete Levels 0–5 voice scale
• individual teaching pages for each voice level
• everyday examples for home, school and community
• emergency voice teaching
• real-life voice-level practice
• guidance for teaching without shame or pressure
• printing, preparation and storage guidance

The resource deliberately frames voice levels as choices, not a behaviour ranking. It also reminds adults not to require speech and to keep AAC, signs, gestures and pointing available.

Best for:
Families who want a clear visual way to teach when different voice levels may be useful while keeping communication flexible.

$6.90Add to cart

Teach during calmer moments. When distress or risk is high, support safety and recovery first.

---

Avoid:

“You’re too loud.”
“Use a good voice.”
“Be quiet.”

Instead, try:

“I hear you.”
“Let’s look at the voice choices.”
“This place may work better with Level 2.”

The pack specifically recommends avoiding labels such as bad, naughty or too loud, avoiding repeated corrections during distress, and never withholding help until the child’s voice changes.

The scale should add communication choices—not take the child’s voice away.

You do not need to prepare every page.

Start with the voice levels that are useful right now.

You can:

Print → Display → Practise → Add more later

Laminating, hook-and-loop dots, rings or small boards are optional. The pack specifically recommends printing only what is needed and removing unused visuals to reduce visual load.